AIADMK ‘surrendered’ to BJP due to corruption: Rahul Gandhi at Kanniyakumari rally

Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that the AIADMK leadership has “surrendered” to the BJP due to corruption, stepping up his attack on the ruling party at the Centre during a rally in Tamil Nadu.

Addressing a public meeting here, Gandhi said the DMK-Congress alliance was committed to protecting Tamil language, culture and history, and claimed ideological differences with the RSS.

“They (RSS) also know that Tamils could challenge them,” he said.

‘BJP weakening states’

The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha emphasised the importance of federalism, asserting that states must have autonomy in governance.

“People of each state should run their own state. But, the BJP does not think like this… it believes it is one tradition, one language and one history,” Gandhi said.

He accused the BJP of undermining the Constitution and attempting to centralise power.

“BJP does not adhere to the Constitution… BJP wants to weaken the states,” he alleged.

Gandhi also referred to the situation in Manipur, alleging that the BJP-led government had failed to maintain peace.

“Look what they have done to Manipur, a peaceful state. They set fire to it… hundreds of people died and the civil war is still carrying on,” he said.

Delimitation, quota debate

Recalling recent debates in Parliament over women’s reservation and delimitation, Gandhi alleged that the Centre’s real objective was to alter the country’s electoral structure.

“There is only one way to describe what they were doing — as an anti-national action,” he said.

He added that Opposition parties had defeated the Bill in Parliament and would continue to resist any move that, in their view, reduces representation.

The remarks come amid intensified campaigning in Tamil Nadu, where alliances led by the DMK and AIADMK are locked in a political contest.

Gandhi’s comments reflect the Opposition’s broader strategy of linking regional identity, federalism and representation with its criticism of the BJP-led government at the Centre.